DOCTRINAL STATEMENT OF FELLOWSHIP BIBLE CHURCH
 
Churches are about beliefs and unity within churches is founded on shared beliefs. The Statement of Faith identifies who we are as Christians and helps us fellowship around a common love for what the scripture teaches. While many beliefs are not as pivotal, and in those we have liberty and charity, the Statement of Faith represents the “non-negotiable” of belief for FBC. As such, it is required that all members of FBC agree with the doctrines outlined in this Statement.
 
OF THE SCRIPTURES – We believe the scriptures of the Old & New Testament as being verbally inspired by God and inerrant and infallible in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and sole authority.
Psalm 19:7-11; 119:89, 105, 130, 160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:31; 24:25-27, 44-45; John 5:39, 45-47; 12:48; 17:17; Acts 1:16; 28:25; Romans 3:4; 15:4; Ephesians 6:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:19
 
OF THE TRIUNE GOD – We believe in one God eternally existing in one essence, yet co-equal persons, the Trinity: Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
Genesis 17:1; Exodus 20:2-3; 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 4:24; 10:30; 15:26; 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 11:23; 1 Corinthians 12:10-11; 8:6; 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; 4:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John
5:7; Revelation 4:11
 
OF CREATION– We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to be accepted literally over six (6) 24-hour days; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and plant life was made directly and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.”
 
OF JESUS CHRIST– We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
Matthew 1:20; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27
 
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is the life of the believer and He empowers the preaching and teaching of the Gospel.
Genesis 1:13; Matthew 3:11; 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; 3:16; 24:49; John 1:33; 3:5-6; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:8-11, 13; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14, 16, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2Thessalonians 2:7, 13; Hebrews 9:14; 1Peter 1:2
 
NOTE: While believing in the Deity and centrality of the Holy Spirit, and the prerogative of God to heal supernaturally, FBC is NOT a charismatic church. FBC takes the position that sign gifts, as given and practiced in the New Testament, receded as the New Testament was completed.
 
OF MAN – We believe that mankind was created in the image of God, sinned, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is separation from God, and that human beings are born with a sinful nature.
Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:18, 20, 28, 32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,3
 
Statement on Human Sexuality
Since God created mankind into genders distinctly male and female, we believe that the only legitimate marriage is that between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God rejects any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance, and that He has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage. 
(Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; Exodus 20:14; Galatians 5:19; 1 Thessalonians. 4:3)
 
OF THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT – We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood.
Isaiah 53:4-7, 11-12; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16; 10:18; Acts15:11; Romans 3:24-25; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14; 7:25; 9:12-15; 12:2
 
OF THE RESURRECTION AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST – We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, His ascension into heaven and His present life there as High Priest and Advocate for us. We believe in the blessed hope, which is the personal, visible and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Psalm 72:8; Isaiah 11:4-5; Matthew 24:27, 42; Matthew 28:6-7; Mark 16:6, 19; Luke 1:32; Luke 24:2, 4-6, 39, 51; John 14:3; John 20:27; Acts 1:9, 11; 1Corinthians 15:4; Philippians 4:20; 1Thessalonians 4:16; 1Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9; 8:1; 9:28; 12:2
 
OF SALVATION – We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God and heirs of eternal life.
 
OF GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION – We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the
divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.
Luke 5:27; John 1:12-13; 3:3, 6-7; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:23; 2Corinthians 5:17, 19; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:1; 5:9; Colossians 2:13; 1John 5:1
 
OF THE FREENESS OF SALVATION – We believe in God’s electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 11:28; John 3:15-18, 36; 5:40; 6:37; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:29-30; 10:13; 1Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 2:4-5; Colossians 3:12; 1Thessalonians 1:4; 1Timothy 1:15; Titus 1:1; 1Peter 1:2; Revelation 22:17
 
OF JUSTIFICATION – We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.
Isaiah 53:11; Habakkuk 2:4; Zechariah 13:1; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17; 4:1; 5:1-9; 8:1; Galatians 3:11; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 10:38
 
Concerning Calvinism/Arminianism – We reject the position that negates or eliminates human responsibility in either the proclamation or the reception of the gospel, whether this position is openly taught or subtly suggested. We also reject the teaching that man can lose his salvation
or the suggestion that “believing” is meritorious of salvation. We are neither strictly “Calvinist” nor strictly “Arminian”.
 
OF SATAN AND HELL – We believe in the existence of a personal devil, who is still working in the world to destroy the souls of men and that he and all his angels and all who do not receive Christ as their personal Savior will eternally perish in the lake of fire.
Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:1-3; 13:25; 25:41; 27:39; Mark 13:21-22; Luke 22:3-4; John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 2:22; 3:8; 4:3; 2 John 7; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-10; 13:13-14; 19:11, 16, 20; 20:1-3, 10
 
OF THE CHURCH – We believe in the Local Church, whose mission it is to preach the Scriptures to all the world, all of its endeavors being guided by qualified leadership and supported by the wise stewardship of God’s people.
 
OF THE ORDINANCES – We believe that the ordinances of the Church, given by the Lord, are Baptism and the Lord’s Table (Communion) and are symbolic in nature.
 
Baptism: We believe that Christian baptism is a church ordinance and therefore administered by a doctrinally sound, New Testament church; furthermore, scriptural baptism is:
1. The immersion in water of a believer subsequent to their conversion (Acts 8:36-38),
2. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of a doctrinally sound, local New Testament church (Matthew. 28:19-20),
3. To show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior (Romans.6:4) and that it is
4. Prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation (Acts 2:41-42)
 
The Lord’s Supper: We believe the Lord’s Supper is for the members of their local church, that, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine, they are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn self-examination.
Matthew 3:6; 3:16; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12